Japanese word

軍人

Pronunciation

Romajigunjin

Meaning

  • nounmember of the armed forces

Example

父は軍人です。chichi wa gun jin de su

My father is a member of the armed forces.

Illustration for 軍人 (member of the armed forces)

More examples

災害の現場で軍人が人々を助けました。sai gai no gen ba de gun jin ga hito bito o tasu ke ma shi ta

Service members helped people at the disaster site.

Core concept

Refers to a person who serves in an organized armed force and carries out military duties.

Common phrases

  • 軍人になるgun jin ni na ru

    become a member of the armed forces

  • 軍人を目指すgun jin o me za su

    aim to become a service member

  • 軍人として働くgun jin to shi te hatara ku

    work as a service member

  • 軍人の家族gun jin no ka zoku

    family of a service member

Similar words

兵士heishi: A person who serves in the military, often as a rank-and-file member rather than an officer.
兵隊heitai: A common spoken term for a person serving as a soldier, especially in the army.

Definition in Japanese

軍隊に所属して軍務に従事する人。gun tai ni sho zoku shi te gun mu ni jū ji su ru hito

Word origin

The compound 軍人 (gunjin) joins 軍 (gun, "army") and 人 (jin, "person") to describe a person serving in the military.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use "soldier" for an army member, while 軍人 (gunjin) can refer more broadly to a member of any branch of the armed forces.

Other meanings

  • soldiernoun

Opposites

  • 民間人minkanjinciviliannoun

Word lists with this word